Shadow of Doubt
by Howell di Amorosi
Summary: Really long story! Not finished, but good! And I can't say.. there's just a LOT of action and twists and turns in it! I'm sure any fan of Escaflowne will like this!!


Shadow of Doubt  
  
Fanelia burning in the backround, the ashes and smoke fill the sky. Nothing will survive the eternal flames that surround her.. Hitomi sees the 17 year-old Merle standing there in the smoke and fire, dying, parashing. Hitomi can bare not to look. She hears Merle scream in pain as her fur singes in the the wild flames that surround her, her skin underneath melts away showing the bear bone of her legs which are giving away to fall into the fiery pit of Fanelia. Van guides the horses of the carriage away from the burning inferno with tears of pain and sadness, pain and sadness that will never be lifted from his heart, for he cannot forgive himself for what he had done. But he knew it was a matter out of his control, but still could not find it in him to forgive himself. Hitomi sits, crying, reaching out the melting remains of the cat, screaming her name which will echo in the history of Fanelia, burned to ashes... After some bit of time Van and Hitomi lay close to each other sitting at the stump of a tree not so far off from Asturia, where they intend to go and ask for help from their friends. They cannot go to sleep too much pain fills their hearts as they silently do not speak and give their respects to Merle, a beloved friend who deserved not to leave, so early in life. Hitomi sits and dreams in the arms of her beloved seeing pictures of pain, and death of what was and some of what to come..  
  
- Hitomi's Dream -  
  
Fire, Fanelia burning yet, once again, she sees Merle again near to her death crying in pain, soon a faded picture of Merle's face comes closer to Hitomi. 'Hitomi, hitomi, hitomi, you left me, you left me, why, why? Do you wish to cause pain? I will see you in the forest tonight and I will save his, yes, Van's life, and I shall give another chance to save me, to save me.. please, help me Hitomi! help me!' Merle's voice echoed, then vanished.  
  
- Hitomi's Dream Ends -  
  
Hitomi wakes up in a flash, with surprise, she was painting full of fear like never before. Hitomi softly tugs on Van's shirt..  
  
'Van! Wake up! Van!' Hitomi said. Van woke up. 'What is it, Hitomi? What is it? What's wrong?' Hitomi passed for a moment and with an expression of confusion on her face she finaly replied 'I'm not sure, but something, something's coming. I'm sure of it!' Hitomi heard rustles in the bushes and saw what she had seen before the treetops rustling as well. Van looked all over the place. 'I don't see anything' he said. 'Neither do I, but we have to get out of here.' He nodded in agreement. Hitomi grabbed Van's hand and pulled him up. She started to run deeper into the forest, which seemed like farther away from danger. But Hitomi did not know what the true danger was, not the guymelefs, but something even more powerful... Hitomi ran far ahead, but Van couldn't keep up and their hands broke, Hitomi didn't notice. She had left Van behind. Hitomi stopped running and looked behind her, worried that she didn't see Van, she heard the worst noises at the most un expected time, Van screaming in pain. And with that fear in the shape of an arrow seemed to strike through Hitomi's heart. 'VAN!!!' she screamed.  
  
Hitomi's scream rang and echoed in the forest for the longest time. Tears ran down her face as she thought that Van was dead. She quickly looked back in the direction she ran and she ran back to see Van and.. Merle! Merle was ripping a piece of cloth she found on the ground and rapped it around Van's wound on his leg. Merle looked at Hitomi and said 'Hitomi! You were supposed to be here for him!'  
  
At that point the bushes rustled even stronger then before, but it wasn't guymelefs. It was an army, an army of soldiers, 1000 evil souls come to hunt them down. One evil archer stepped forward and shot an arrow flying at the speed of light towards Van, Hitomi knew if it hit him he would die instantly for the arrow was speeding to his heart! Hitomi was frozen she couldn't move, she didn't want Van to die, but she was to frightened she tried to move but she couldn't no matter what she did! As the arrow came spinning in the air faster than a bullet towards Van's heart, Van closed his eyes and prepared for the deep hard impact on his soul and heart.  
  
Hitomi couldn't move, still frozen to the ground. But Merle, she didn't have the heart to let Van die and she couldn't blame him for him leaving her behind in the ragging flames, it wasn't his fault, it was out of his control. With a deep sunken heart full of pain, Merle gave her life yet again for one she deeply cared for, she knew she had too, for both of their sakes. Hitomi's and for Van's.  
  
With a simple tear streaking down Merle's face screaming " VANNNNNNNNNNN SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! " Merle ran on all four paws, her heart racing t'ill she reached where she had to and stood up in the path of the speeding arrow and stood with her back towards the arrow. Within a quick flash of a second Van and Hitomi looked up to the final screams of the cat-girl yet once again, this time not in the flames of a country, but in the flames of a messenger's arrow, of death.  
  
The archers and guymelef suddenly dispeared without a trace at that moment a giant flash of a blinding white light covered the Gaea, when the light had dissapeared, Gaea appeared. Gaea could now be seen, from Earth.  
  
Van, Hitomi and the half-lifeless body of Merle still sat and laid where they were before the giant flash. Van and Hitomi rushed up to Merle. Van taking his shirt and bandaging Merle's body up, trying to soak the blood, Hitomi could just stare at what was infront of her. Even though Van was hurt, his main priorty was Merle.  
  
Hitomi softly spoke 'It's just like she said it would be....' Van looked up curiosly at Hitomi while still trying to help Merle. Curious, Van asked 'What? What was like who said it would be?' Hitomi looked at Van. 'Oh, it's nothing Van.' Hitomi trailed off. Van placed a face of disgust on his face. 'NO! Hitomi that's it! Tell me what's wrong! I'm sick of you hiding things from me! That's exactly how Merle got to be in this position in the first place! Now tell me!' 'Van!' 'Hitomi, tell me!' Hitomi stood up and so did Van in a mad rage and with a tear slowly streaking across her face, Hitomi ran! Van wanted to go after her, but he knew Merle needed him the most at this time.. Merle almost completly out of breath whispered 'Van..sama...'  
  
Hitomi ran as fast as she could down, deeper into the forest weeping and crying through the bushes and past the trees. 'What am I doing? Why did I do that? Argh! What is wrong with me?!!!!' Hitomi yelled it out so loud beating herself up about her hiding and kept love for Van, which she didn't have the courage to admit to him, or herself. The voice of Hitomi trailed to where Van laid paniking not sure of what to do. He looked up to nothingness from the sound of Hitomi's voice. 'Hitomi? Hitomi?! Hitomi!! Come back!' Van started to cry, thinking that he had failed, failed to help Merle and to protect Hitomi. And out of nowhere Merle's voice broke the intense silence 'Van sama, it hurts.' Van looked back down turning his attention to Merle, yet once again. Van kneeled down beside Merle and whispered 'Shhh.. don't talk.' She replied 'it hurts..' With his caring, soft voice he replied 'Shh, I know, I know it does Merle, but it's going to be ok, ok Merle?' Merle slightly nodded in pain, with brushes and slight scars from the fires from Fanelia. Van took a close look at the wound on Merle's beaten up brushed and battered body. He thought to himself 'how could she have escaped...?'  
  
Van looked over Merle and picked her up and walked into the forest into the night to look for Hitomi, quietly without making a noise..  
  
Van walked through, pushing the branches of the low trees and shrubs away not to hit Merle who was lying bearly concess in his arms. "Where could Hitomi be? Why does she do this? It worries me so much." Van mumbled to himself. Van nearly brokedown but he knew he had to keep on going, to find Hitomi and to protect her and Merle. "Hitomi! Hitomi, where are you?!" Van yelled out in the dark forest..  
  
Hitomi lied down against a tree with her hands holding her knees close hiding her face in her legs, sobbing. "Why did I run? Now I'm alone an even from long ago, I don't know my way around. Oh Van, please, I'm sorry! .. I'M SORRY!!" Hitomi yelled through her tears, streaming down her face. Looking into the full moon and the Mystic moon in the sky, brightly and brighter than ever before, Van smiled. Looking at the Mystic moonalways reminded him of Hitomi. "Hitomi...I'll find you, I've got to.." Van mumbled to himself as he stopped walking and layed Merle down on the soft grass and let her rest. Van sat beside Merle and watched her silently, not to disturb her. Before he went to bed and slept he checked and slightly tightened the strips of rag and cloth around Merle's bruises and replacing the rags that were drenched with poor Merle's blood. Then off he went and dozed off with a slight smile of reassurence that all 3 of them would be back together as a big group again. And Merle would be "A-okay."  
  
Rustling came through the bushes and it got Hitomi's attention. She rose up as fast as she could, afraid and her eyes opened wide. Not sure if it was danger or Van, with poor Merle. In the far distance coming from the bushes and the rustling moving in the thick greens of the forest Hitomi could hear faint voices. "Please someone, help.." Hitomi cried to herself. The voices slowly grew louder and Hitomi could sense it was danger. She quivered and twitched in fear desperate to run away, but fear pinned her down on the damp grass of the forest floor. She sat next to a tree quietly, regreting that she ran away in a confused angry rage from Van and Merle, from protection and friends.  
  
The voices moved closer and closer until they reached Hitomi. Hitomi looked up, to her surprise it was people. Notdanger, but people, people, from the Mystic Moon, Earth. A group of young children in their school uniforms. Hitomi stood up and looked curiosly at them and they looked curiosly at her. At that point the sun started to rise in the sky. Hitomi and the group looked up. "Van.." Hitomi whispered to herself. ---- Van still slept beside Merle, who was trying to stand and walk, despite her big gashes and her giant wound from the arrow that nearly killed her. I can do this! I've go to. I'm beginning to be such a burden to Lord Van. I've got to try and stand up for him, Merle thought to herself leaning on a tree half-way up off the ground. Merle thinking that if she could make it up in one quick move... "Ahh!" Merle screamed in pain as she twisted and sprained her ankle. Falling to the ground, landing on Van. Van woke up instantly by the accidental rude awakening, but also by Merle's scream of pain. Merle sat in the position she had landed in, slightly crying, but trying to hide it at the same time. "Merle! Are you ok?! What were you doing?" Van asked in a worried tone. Merle could tell Van was worried but also still shocked from her falling on him. Merle hesitated and tried to look away, but she couldn't turn away from him. She just didn't have the heart to. "So..you going to tell me?" Van asked, trying not to seem impatient. Merle took a big gulp and sighed. "Ok, I tried to walk so then I wouldn't slow you down so we could find Hitomi and be together again, so I tried to walk to make things go along faster so I did but while I stood up my leg wasn't strong enough so ---" Merle trailed off into a small down pore of tears thinking that she failed so patheticly. Van looked at her and held her in his arms and rocked her re-assuring, side to side. "It's ok Merle, it's okay.." Van whispered. ---- Hitomi looked at the students from Earth and they kept on looking at her. They stood there clueless of what to do next. "Um, so what are your names. I know this must be strange for you and scary too, but I'm here to help you" Hitomi said totally embaressed. A young girl walked up and said "Well this is my little brother Kuma and that's my best friend Nakare." "Oh well, it's nice to meet you all, but um, what's your name?" Hitomi asked. "Well, my name is ---" The young girl was cut off by the sounds of guymelefs flying overhead. The students ran away all in different directions afraid for their lives. At that moment 3 columns of light came down in a quick flash the students were gone, so were the guymelefs. Hitomi sighed. "Thank goodness they left. They scared me half to death!" Hitomi said to herself.  
  
Hitomi looked up into the sky and saw two Zaibach floating fortress' in the sky passing by. "Oh no. This can't be happening. I've got to get out of here, now!" Hitomi started running in one direction, as she ran she looked down to find one of her shoelaces untied, but at that point Hitomi crashed into a body..? "Hey! What do we have here?" A man said. He raised Hitomi's head and smirked at her. Right away Hitomi's eyes filled with fear. "Dilandau..." Dilandau stared at Hitomi with an evil smirk on his face, he held her close in the bonecrushing position that she crashed into him with. He studied her face slowly, and to Hitomi, terrifiying. Her breath started getting raspy from the fear inside of her. Dilandau looked away and Hitomi thought the worst. "Violet! Gatti! Get over here!" The loud yell from Dilandau was the worst to some for Hitomi and she knew it, it would start everything. The 2 dragon slayers came attentively to the call of their dark possesed leader.  
  
Dilandau looked at them, then looked at Hitomi once again. "Get up!" Dilandau yelled to Hitomi loudly. Hitomi staggered and hesitated. "Hurry up! Don't tell me you need help!" Hitomi looked up, her eyes, terrified and watering. Dilandau looked at Hitomi and smirked very lightly. "Pathetic.." he mumbled under his breath, quietly. He quickly looked away and Hitomi took a sigh thinking that he'd let her go, but no... Dilandau swung his hand into the air and slapped Hitomi across the face with all his might and grabbed the back of her head and pulled her up off the ground by her hair, without a care in the world. Hitomi let out a scream of pain that echoed through out the forest, while Violet and Gatti just stood there and watched feeling sorry for Hitomi, knowing what it was like getting hurt by the likes of him (Dilandau). ---- Van and Merle were walking on their search for Hitomi, as they walked on the scream from Hitomi rung through the trees just to Van and Merle. Van looked at Merle and she looked at him. "What was that?" Van asked Merle. "I don't know, but I'm kind of scared, Van-Sama." Merle answered looking around to see where the horrific scream came from. "well, try not to be scared Merle, it's okay." Van said, trying to re-assure her.  
  
Merle walked ahead of Van and sniffed around. "Merle, what are you doing? Were supposed to be looking for Hitomi!" Merle looked up at Van. "I am looking for Hitomi!" Merle said. "I'm trying to track her down, because if we can't see her, you have to try and sniff her out. Besides it's easier to find someone like that, everyone's got a sent right?" Van looked at Merle strangely with a very confused look on his face. "Tell me something Merle, why do you wish to sniff Hitomi?" Merle looked at Van. "Shut up! and help me! And that's not what I mean!" Merle yelled at Van. Van shrugged and just kept on walking with Merle, sniffing everything (?)  
  
Hitomi got pulled up, her hair in arriye and in pain. From the force of being pulled up by the strong hand of the adonis (Dilandau) the pendant started to move, but for some strange reason it wouldn't stop. Dilandau looke at Hitomi in a stranger nagry way. He couldn't take it, the moving of thependant meant something was wrong and he knew from past references. "What's wrong with you?! Stop it! It's moving, stop it! It's destroying my concentration!" Dilandau yelled in a mad fit of rage. Hitomi looked down at her pendant, with tears streaking down her face panicking with fear. "Come on! Do it! Stop it from moving!" He yelled again. Hitomi sensed help was near, it never moved unless it was a good thing. She soon realized that it was good, for this particular time.  
  
It made her want to cry, cry tears of Joy. Help was coming. Dilandau threw Hitomi to Violet and Gatti. "Hold her!" Dilandau yelled. Violet and Gatti held onto her arms. Hitomi struggled between the tight grips. With Hitomi still crying, the force of Dilandau's mean push that was meant to do her harm forced a tear to fall directly onto the pendant. At the that moment the pendant finally stopped moving in mid-air and with a giant glow of white the that flashed and blinded Violet and Gatti, but only distracted Dilandau, the pendant pointed up in the air towards South in the forest.  
  
Hitomi and Diladnau for a second merged together mentally, they both shared the same vision. Merle and Van were coming. Hitomi didn't know that Dilandau knew this, which now jepordized Hitomi, Van and Merle's well being.. for survival. With the blinding of Violet and Gatti from Hitomi's pendant, she only just came to realize that they had let her go. Hitomi, free from their grip, she ran! Ran towards where the pendant had pointed to, to Van and Merle. Dilandau, only somewhat blinded got up and started running after Hitomi, and was catching up quickly. Hitomi's heart beated heavily, not sure of wether she was oging to make it, if only I could see them again she thought. At that point, moment and second Hitomi heard Dilandau draw his sword from his holder, Hitomi turned around to look and --- Hitomi crashed into what she thought was a tree, with that she fell to the ground, but when she opened her eyes, she saw feet, she looked up and to her surprise she was somewhat face-to-face with, Van!  
  
Van had his sword drawn out, to battle with Dilandau. Dilandau still running and getting ready to charge at Van, Van quickly yelled "get out of the way!" Hitomi got up and ran to Merle who was hiding behind a bush. Merle suddenly jumped up and opened her arms and yelled "Hitomi! Come on! You can make it! Hurry up!" Hitomi ran as fast as she could and jumped behind the bush, she sat with Merle who was peaking up to watch Van-Sama and Dilandau start to battle. They watched in fear for Van...  
  
Sparks flew, the clashing of the two swords that represented good and evil hit, crashed, sounding like thunder rumbling in the sky. Van and Dilandau sweating, fighting for each other's life, but Van for three lives, including his own. Dilandau was on his own, but he didn't seem to care. Rage lit up in his eyes, Van could tell Dilandau's need for carnage and war grew and burned for death, his death. Hitomi and Merle sat there hiding, watching, staring into the sowrds and shuddered at the sound of them clashing, holding each other's hands, just to re-assure each other that Van was going to be ok and that Dilandau wouldn't harm them any longer.  
  
When the battle between them looked like the end and that Van was going to be the vitorious nad Merle cheering for him in her mind and Hitomi believing that he could do it and beat Dilandau. Dilandau raised his sword and in a flash came crashing down onto Van. Merle screamed "Van-Sama!" with tears rushing out of her eyes, Hitomi just looked at Van laying on the ground and the deep, dark, red blood seeping out of Van's tortured, cut-up body.  
  
Van layed there, not moving! Hitomi and Merle feared the worst, not knowing what to do, and wondering what Dilandau was going to do. Dilandau just looked at them with the evilness in his eyes, then soon ran off after taking a quick glimpse at Van body. Hitomi and Merle waited for a while before approching Van-Sama's body. Afraid and scared of what they would soon be forced to face. Was he dead? Was he okay? They were too afraid to know or too find out. After a while Hitomi soon got up, she took a deep breath and swallowed her fear or pretended to encourage Merle to walk over to where Van was lying too. Merle slowly got up with water in her eyes she quickly walked over to Hitomi and held onto her tightly. "Is he ok, Hitomi? Is he?! You got to know!" Merle was panicking, she didn't want him die! He was the closest thing to family that she ever had and all she had left. Hitomi looked down at Merle and said "Merle.. I don't think he's going to make it.." Merle fell beside Van's body and cried, sobbed, screaming and yelling out words that only she could understand, for they were garbled and muffled by her tears of pain and sadness. Hitomi sat down beside Merle and tried to comfort her, but it was so hard, she wanted to cry with all her heart and might, but she tried to keep them back, but failed to do so. She sat and sobbed with the Cat-Girl who even risked her life to save him once. But now it didn't seem to matter...  
  
Merle and Hitomi sat down beside Van's body. They sobbed, their pain flowing out of their eyes, streaming down their faces, scarring their hearts for all eternity. They lost a friend, their guardian, someone so close to them. Their sole protector, with a kind heart. They sobbed and cried non-stop. Nothing could take their minds off of the young man who lied there life;less, right infront of them. His face, pale and white, his blue veins popping and showing through his skin, his heart, to a complete stop and his blood creating a small thick, dark crimson stream trickling, draining from his fatal wounds into the damp, rich green grass, slowly making it's path beside the feet and legs of those who sobbed and weeped for his life, which was taken away by quick strike. Merle sobbed and screamed in her confused emotions of anger and sadness which merged in her heart. Her tears garbled up her words which described her pain. She placed her paws on Van's chest, she waited for his heart to beat.. nothing. She sobbed even harder, knowing the dark truth of Van's fate. Hitomi sobbbed wanting to him yet again and feel the warth and kindness from his heart, his smile and his soft gentle, touch. She looke at MErle still sobbing. Merle looked at Hitomi, they cried together.. it seemed like this pain would never lift from their hardened hearts, for all eternity.  
  
They held each other, their tears drenching themselves, they didn't seem to care. Soon as they cried together, Merle's ear started to twitch. A noise, something or someone was coming. "What is it Merle? What's wrong?" Hitomi asked still crying. Merle looked up at Hitomi with her damp eyes with tears still crawling down her face seeping through her fur on her face. "I don't know... And I don't care!" Merle yelled. "Merle calm down! It's okay!" "No! It's NOT okay! How can you even say that?! Look what happened to Van- Sama!!!" Merle yelled at Hitomi looking as if she was going to breakdown into a storm tears. Hitomi and Merle fought on a battle ground of tears, based on their tears of their confused hearts and pain clouding their minds.  
  
Suddenly Merle, unable to make Hitomi look in her way of mind, she took her bandages from her past wounds, which were now almost fully healed off of her body and rushed to clog the blood that was seeping out of Van's body from his resent fatal wounds on his battered, beaten up and mangeled body. She slowly placed the bandages of his wounds with tears of pain, to see him like this, in his condition, but also with tears of hope and faith that Van still might be okay. Hitomi looked strangely at Merle, admired by her hope and strength during this harsh, hard and painful time. But still Hitomi held resentment to what Merle was doing. To her it un-sanitary and she knew that it was already too late, she didn't want to admit it. But she knew is was true. Still somewhat crying Merle started placing the last bandage on Van's body. But just hen at that moment Hitoi, without warning, stepped lightly between Merle and Van's body. Merle looked up at Hitomi, puzzled. "Get out of the way! What are you doing Hitomi? Move!" "No Merle! I won't!" "Why?! Why are you doing this Hitomi?! What's gotten into you?" Hitomi just stood still, no answer to Merle came from Hitomi's mouth. "Hitomi, let me ask you a question... If you were in his position, do you think that Van- sama would give up on you?! DO YOU THINK THAT VAN-SAMA WOULD GIVE UP ON YOU?!! .. NO OF COURSE NOT, CAUSE HE LOVED YOU! .. and if there's a chance that he might still be okay he still loves you! So get out of the way!" Hitomi started to form tears in her eyes, realizing that she can be wrong sometimes, but she also felt guilty. She didn't even do anything to help Van, but Merle did.  
  
At that point of the tears and Van's blood stop to flow out of his bruised body, the noise, the same noise that Merle seemed to hear earlier on became louder, much louder! It got both the girl's and the cat's attention. They stodd straight up above Van's body and looked towards where the noise seemed to be coming from. As the noise grew louder, a form started to form and it was coming straight at them. "Why would anybody be out here in the woods?" Merle asked Hitomi. "I-I don't know Merle." The form moving in the woods, came closer and yes it was people. Bu in a carraige. Hitomi and Merle looked at each other. The carriage came up to Merle and Hitomi and right beside Van's body, laying on the ground.  
  
The door of the carriage that seemed to come down and appear from the sky instantly opened and in it revealed a young king, whom was formerly known as.. Prince Chid. The blue eyed prince of Freid. Hitomi and Merle looked at him and gave him the look of a dear friends and that he was welcome. Chid came, looking as if he was going to step out of the royal carriage but .. "NO!" Merle and Hitomi yelled. Chid backed-off as quickly as anyone coould, he looked puzzled. "Why? What's wrong?" Chid asked. Hitomi and Merle looking suddenly sad and to Chid for an un-known reason. The pointed their heads down and Chid followed their heads onto Van's battered body.  
  
Chid stood there practicaly frozen, worried, sad, and yet sympathetic for them at the same time. ---------- Some say life isn't fair and that you have to fight your whole life through to survive it. But some are to afraid of the ending result to fight, so they hide in the shadows...  
  
"Arghh! Nothing works, it just doesn't make any sense, or go with anything!" Folken started to breathe heavily. Anger clouded his mind. After he had ran away, Folken ran deep into the woods, later on Varie went to find him... She was killed, but so was he. You see, Folken died that day or at least his heart did. The pain of his mother, who was slaughtrered right infront of him was too much for him to bear. He still hear's the last words which she screamed out in vain.. "Don't forget!" Since that day he's been hiding, alone, away from civilization and into the shadows, wondering what those last sacred words meant.  
  
Folken sighed with a sound of anger rising in his throat. He looked down onto his desk and looked a while onto (at) his paper. The heat from the candles which created light to see, made Folken slowly started to de- hydrate. He soon broke out into a cold sweat, something was wrong. Folken struggled to sit down, to calm himself down and lower his blood's pressure. He was in pain, his face was turning red as if he was being choked to death, but from the inside out. He struggled to move, to stop whatever was causing his soon to be fatal condition. The pressure of the thriveing pain rushed all over his body inside, but it ended in his heart.  
  
Folken quickly fell to the floor, breathing heavily, raspily. The air was thin, it was hard to breathe... Folken sat there, living, glowing with life. Died did he? Not even close. But suspision rose in his mind. Who did this? A sorcerer..? ---------- Chid carried Hitomi, Merle and the body of the young king of Fanelia. The horses ran as fast as they could. Chid pushed the horses, he ordered them to run faster soon it had become to much of a burden on the hoofs of the horses and also the wheels of the carrige.  
  
Soon after a little bit of time, they had finally reached Freid. The carrige stopped directly infront on the castle doors. Everyone jumped out and rushed to get Van and carry him into the castle where he could be aided, for time was going fast. He hadn't much time left, besides he was dead. But somehow, in someway Merle's faith seemed to give everyone else hope, except Hitomi who was still in-certain about the whole situation. Her mind was in a gigantic blur, no matter what she did, she couldn't think straight, though she tried.  
  
They hurried into the entrance of the grand castle, rushed up the main stairs, and through the main hallway to the medical room. Nurse maids rushed into the room from every corner of the room, or so it seemed. They bandaged Van's body and took of all the old ones, cleaned off the wounds and washed and rinsed away the blood. It stinged to those who watched, but it helped and soothed them in a way they new that if Merle's faith and intuition was right and that there still may be a chance for Van, even though the chances were slim.  
  
Hitomi, Merle even Chid, were pushed out of the room, forced to wait and see what would happen to their dear friend. To wait to see if he actually was dead, which no one would be able to bear, or to see if Merle was right which everyone would want.. For him to live and be with them again. No crying came, no tears fell, none where seen by anyone. Surprisingly there was silence and it filled the room. Only silent worrying went on. They prayed, they wished, they asked in their minds. You could hear a pin drop and it would set them off.  
  
Hitomi closed her eyes, fearing, crying in her mind. She thought of what could have been if everything was done and gone. If Van would actually dissapear, fear filled her heart and her eyes. Her love would be gone and her heart would forever be alone for he was the only one for her, no one else came into mind. Alone, loneliness, it was her true fear. Being left alone was all she could bear. But she knew Merle, Chid all her friends would still be with her, but lonely in her heart, lonely in love. For Hitomi, Van was the only one and no one, not even the kindest of hearts could fill that hole in her heart, it was just to big and no love is the same, no matter how much you try and change them. There's only one love of one specific person and each one is different and more different from each one. Each one had their own fears, their own reasons to shead tears for this young man's life and his fate was left in their hands...  
  
  
  
*Note: This is only three quarters of the story, not the whole thing!! Thank you. Sachiel. 


End file.
